


open the gate (wake up)

by crowind



Category: BanG Dream! (Anime), BanG Dream! Girl's Band Party! (Video Game)
Genre: Evil Roselia, Gen, Go Go Pastel Rangers, Parody, Time Loop, some sayolisa if you squint
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-16
Updated: 2021-03-16
Packaged: 2021-03-25 02:33:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,969
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30082143
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/crowind/pseuds/crowind
Summary: One day Chisato wakes up to find everyone is not what she remembers them to be. At least, she's pretty sure her friends aren't supposed to be aliens.
Relationships: Hikawa Sayo & Imai Lisa, Imai Lisa & Shirasagi Chisato
Comments: 6
Kudos: 17





	open the gate (wake up)

"—find another chance. Chisato-chan, sleeping, drooling!" 

"Hina-chan, shhh! You'll wake—uh-oh, hi, Chisato-chan." 

Groggy, Chisato's hand went to her mouth, covering a yawn. No drool, however. She'd half a mind to scold Hina, even though it was also her own fault for falling asleep. Chisato opened her mouth and—though it was improper—kept her mouth open. 

They were in one of the talent agency's meeting rooms, waiting for Maya and Eve to finish their prior engagements. She couldn't remember what had happened after arriving—she must have fallen asleep. She must have remained asleep still and this was all a dream. Aya stared back from behind milk-bottle thick glasses. She was sitting before a ceiling-to-floor console that looked like it came out of a 90's sci-fi film. She'd been typing. 

And closer, Hina's two eyes bore into her, a one-two punch of the mischievous green Chisato had known well, and the unblinking, robotic red. Half of her face seemed to have been replaced with a very shiny metal plate. 

It seemed too elaborate for a prank, even a televised prank. A dream, then? Chisato was somewhat insulted her subconscious mind had served up a cheap and outdated sci-fi set. She didn't even like sci-fi! If it was a dream, she could have pinched herself and make it go away. But she didn't; doing so would take out her last plausible excuse — 

Hina pinched the back of her wrist. Hina's touch was as cold as metal and painful for how brief it was. "What was that for?" Chisato said, as scornful as one could be while blinking away watery eyes. 

"You looked like you wanted to be pinched! Actually, you seem tired. Have you been sleeping lately? I guess not, ever since—" 

"Hina-chan!" Aya crossed her arms, mouthing 'NO'. 

As Chisato turned to her, the alarm blared. It sounded like the shrieks of an arena full of idol fans. Hina and Aya turned grim instantly, and Maya was suddenly there, clutching her knees and out of breath. 

"Where's Eve-chan?" asked Aya. 

Wheezing, Maya said, "She'll meet us there… but we should probably transform first…" 

_…Transform?_ But everyone else seemed to know what she meant instantly. Hina pumped her fist, a hint of bloodlust in her grin. "Finally! Pastel Rangers, it's showtime!" 

Aya she could understand, but when Hina and even sensible Maya struck poses Chisato wondered if — 

"Come on, Chisato-chan!" Impatient, Hina took Chisato's palm and pressed it to the oversized watch on her wrist. More tacky retrofuture cliche, she thought with resignation as light—dare she say, pastel yellow?—shot out from the display and enveloped her. Legs, arms, torso, and finally head, and when the light faded she was wearing… an outfit not more ridiculous than Pastel*Palettes' usual fare, truly. The costume moved her into following Hina and the others. The scenery blurred as they moved at lightspeed—clearly, the studio needed to invest in better scene transition—and when her vision resolved they had arrived on the set. 

It was the municipal dog park she usually took Leon to on her longer off-days. On an afternoon such as this the park was teeming with dogs and their owners. Currently there was chaos as dogs and owners were separated and the owners tied and gagged. The culprit was an army of what seemed to be mannequins spun from thorny vines, with red roses for heads. They would take one frightened dog after another and paraded them before their leader, who clucked her tongue and rejected one after another. 

"No, no, no! None of these toys could ever keep up with _her_ to the pinnacle. Are you sure—" 

It was then that Aya suddenly shouted, "Halt, evildoer! How dare you trespass the sacred bond of trust between dogs and owners!" 

She was striking a pose as she said this. Of course. And so did Hina and Maya, and reluctantly, Chisato. She'd even opened her mouth, to spew a silly one-liner penned by a hack script writer. Something nagged at her. The mannequin army's leader, despite her outrageous appearance, seemed familiar — 

"Lisa-chan?" blurted Chisato. 

"Chisato-chan, look out!" 

What exactly she was supposed to look out for Chisato never got to know. The scene went dark before Hina could finish her warning. Somewhere in the dark a clapperboard sounded. 

* * *

"—find another chance. Chisato-chan, sleeping, drooling!" 

"Hina-chan, shhh! You'll wake—Whoa, Chisato-chan, what's wrong?" 

Chisato had jolted to her feet before she could take in her surroundings. The agency's office. Aya at the console, spinning in her seat to stare until her glasses seemed about to fall off. Hina's unblinking red eye glowing brighter. 

"I… didn't we just…" It wasn't often that Chisato struggled with her words, but she felt this time was warranted. 

The alarm blared. Once again Maya burst into the room, and once again Hina called for them to transform and triggered Chisato's when she stood transfixed. It was then Chisato knew it wasn't a dream—a dream would be more sensible. 

As before she was dragged to the dog park whether she wanted it or not. The mannequins, fewer in number now, were rounding and presenting dogs to their leader. Chisato had a better look. Her dress seemed to remain attached to her person through sheer dedication to fashion, her hair alight in the sun as though on fire. More than smokey, she seemed to have liberally slathered ink and rouge on her face. And yet it was unmistakably, however more dismal, still Imai Lisa's face staring back at her. And unless Chisato was mistaken, her look was one of recognition. Could it be, someone else who realized the madness they were in— 

"Who in the name of the Rosenkaiser are you?" 

… Of course not. 

Then Hina cried, "Chisato-chan, look out!" and the world went dark again. Click, went the invisible clapperboard. 

* * *

"—find another chance. Chisato-chan, sleeping, drooling!" 

"Hina-chan, shhh! You'll wake—uh-oh, hi, Chisato-chan… I have nothing to do with it! It's all Hina-chan's idea!" 

"Tch, wait till your fans know Pastel Pink's a coward," Hina said cheerfully, in contrast to Aya's mild cowering. 

For her part, even though Chisato didn't mean to glare at Aya she decided not to say anything. The horror of the situation was only beginning to sink in. She had arrived at the set late (and without memory of signing up for the role, but she'd had jobs like that) and two takes later she still didn't have the script. Improvisation was one of Chisato's greatest weakness as an actress. Like this, without a clear idea of what the story wanted of her, she froze. 

Yet the camera continued rolling regardless. The other actors too—Aya was wondering if something was wrong, and both of Hina's eyes took an ominous shine. The scene was moving and only Chisato was weighing it down. That wouldn't do—Chisato was a professional. She would improvise if it was asked of her. 

Though as it was the third take, she knew what to expect. As expected the alarm blared and Maya rushed to their place at an inhuman speed—Chisato made a note to investigate it later. This time when Hina called for a transformation scene, Chisato initiated hers with her own hands, sans the pose, thank you very much. 

Back at the dog park again. Only half of the mannequins remained. The air crackled with electricity as edgy Lisa laid her eyes on Chisato. "You, I demand to know your name!" 

And at the same time Hina yelled, "Chisato-chan, look out!" 

Chisato, not eager to find out how many takes she'd been allotted, ducked. A mannequin sailed through the space her head had vacated. The culprit, Eve, also dressed in the same idol-ish getup as everyone else, swung her sword widely, yelling, "Bushido!" 

"Ahaha, now we're talking," cackled Hina, pulling out of nowhere a cannon bigger than her person. Because why not, what was the legality of minors wielding weapons when the laws of physics had been broken. 

"H-Hina-san, there are bystanders!" warned Maya. She'd pulled a more sensible handgun-shaped weapon, and Aya a sword not unlike Eve's. Grumbling, Hina tinkered with her weapon until it shrunk down to something similar to Maya's. Then with speed and accuracy and sheer genius that any Hina must have no matter the setting, she shot down the remaining marionette that the others hadn't defeated. 

All this happened while Chisato was appraising the scene for a moment to enter. She was definitely not paralyzed by the existential dread of an actress who entered the set without having seen the script. Naturally, Lisa turned on her, face glowing red to match the rose atop her crown, black smoke coming out of her ears. "I'll make you remember this!" 

Then she—what else?—disappeared with a twirl into the folds of her voluminous dress. Meanwhile Chisato and Pastel*Palettes—Pastel Rangers now—didn't get to escape so easily. There was soothing the scared dogs and their owners, as well as paperwork. The agency's staff took care of most of these, for which Chisato was grateful. There was only so much she could do while she acted the part of a Shirasagi Chisato who was born to be a hero. She was pretty sure her friends knew she was faking it—Maya kept glancing at her, and Hina's interested stare was not at all subtle. 

But the day ended and she went home as usual. She was so tired she didn't scold Leon for nearly knocking her down in greeting. "Well, at least you're normal," she mumbled into his fur. It was a cliche that all dog owners believed their pets could understand their speech, but in this case Chisato had empirical proof. There was a glint of understanding in Leon's eyes and he nuzzled at her more gently. At dinner her mother asked about her day with the same worried but resigned tone she'd always used following an unsavory celebrity news. Her father only concealed his worry slightly better. It seemed that in this setting the Pastel Rangers occupied exactly the same role Pastel*Palettes had occupied back home. 

_Back home, huh?_

Was this another world? a dream, surely? Her house, even her room looked and felt exactly like home. As she was starting to relax, with Leon curled on her lap, her phone lit up. A suspicious-looking app was displayed receiving an encrypted message. It occurred to Chisato that, on top of the bog-standard stalkers, she'd now have to watch out for villains. It finished decoding with a cheerful ping, and Kaoru's face appeared on the screen. _"Greetings, my dear Chii-chan. By the time you've received this message, the Going Smiley will have arrived at the edge of Alpha Centauri…"_ and on and on Kaoru rambled about the stars and their journey into the distant unknown to find the essence of smile. Why Hello, Happy World! couldn't have found it closer to the world they wanted to make smile was a question for the ages. She poked around the app for a function to send a reply. Not that she would, only as a matter of curiosity. Typical of Kaoru, it was a one-way receiver. Pity, for a moment Chisato was possessed of the childish impulse to tell her she, Chisato was also stranded in a land at once familiar and strange. 

"You seem more excited than me," Chisato said to Leon. He'd perked up while the message was being decoded, wagged his tail furiously while the video played. At one point, as Kaoru gave a tour of of Kokoro's spaceship, he even let out a whine. "It can't be Kaoru, can it?" Leon whined again. "Do you want to go to space, boy? I suppose I should look into if Pastel Palettes—excuse me, Pastel Rangers. What a bullet we've dodged back in the real world… I should see if space battles are in the cards." Leon whined and snuggled closer. "All right, all right, I'm not going to leave you here while I go haring off into space. Unlike a certain someone." 

The moment felt scripted though the emotion belying it was nevertheless real. How odd. Chisato hadn't thought she would care if Kaoru left for an adventure in nowhere, not knowing when she would return. She went to sleep wondering how else would this strange world—or dream—unsettle her. 

* * *

School didn't seem much different. Kanon greeted her brightly as she came into class. Seeing that Kanon hadn't changed took an enormous weight off her shoulders. Kanon was one of the few oases in her life, and Chisato didn't know what she'd do if this Kanon hated her. 

"Everything okay, Chisato-chan? You seem, um…" 

"Tired?" 

"Oh no, more, um, please don't take this the bad way, but you came early to class and you seem happy to see me…?" 

_An even more dour Shirasagi Chisato, you say?_ Well, this Chisato only beamed in response. "Quite possibly I haven't been showing you just how much I appreciate your friendship, Kanon. I should remedy that." 

"F-Fuee? What did I do?" 

Chisato took her seat in front of Kanon, scanning the classroom for more familiar faces. Two stood out in their absence. "Have you seen Sayo-chan and Rinko-chan?" 

"I'm, uh, I don't know who… But Chisato-chan, are you… did something happen yesterday? I-I mean, I saw you on TV, but…" 

Chisato almost replied that she hadn't had any scheduled appearance yesterday. The scene at the dog park flashed through her mind, and she held her tongue. 

In this setting, Shirasagi Chisato was a former child actress struggling to break into the big girls' league. In order to get out of being pigeonholed into antagonistic roles, she'd chosen—been talked into, if she was anything like this Chisato—to become an idol. Where they differed was that this earth was a magnet for all sorts of invaders. Aliens, demons from the underworld, mole people, anything that wasn't human was drawn to plunder earth. And the only forces that could stop them were not the military, but the various, mostly private-owned idol groups. 

Sunday morning shows for children were not known for realistic worldbuilding, Chisato supposed. 

But one year into the hero gig and it became clear Chisato's efforts had backfired. Instead of boosting her viability in the eye of the powers that be, she seemed to be getting less acting job. Who knew having an irregular but non-negotiable, not to mention dangerous side job could make drawing steady contracts difficult? 

The first period's teacher came in with a new student, which set the entire class buzzing. A transfer student entering in their second year of high school was unusual, though not something Chisato was interested in. She would ignore her if she didn't seem familiar. She introduced herself as Imai Lisa, and she looked exactly like how Chisato imagined the Lisa she knew would if she went without make-up in public. 

By coincidence, the only empty seat was the one on her right. Lisa sat down and turned her sparkling smile. "I hope we can become friends, Chisato!" she said with a sing-song voice. Roses bloomed at the edge of Chisato's vision, and a sweet smell wafted between them, as if she'd dumped a bottle of rose perfume on herself. Chisato still didn't have the script, but she knew it wouldn't do good to make a scene with innocent bystanders around—especially Kanon. 

So she nodded and said, "You're new to this town, aren't you? I'll be happy to show you around. No, I know, you should definitely have lunch with me today." 

It would be an irresponsible thing to say in the other world, but it seemed fitting for this version of Chisato, dour and retiring though she might be, to keep her enemy close. 

Lisa smiled like a cat who spotted a canary, eyeing Kanon. "Your friend too, of course. I'd hate to separate you." 

"Unfortunately, I believe Kanon has promised to have lunch with others," Chisato lied smoothly. Some nerve this bootleg character had, to involve Kanon. 

"What, no, Chisato-chan—" Kanon trailed off as Lisa's shrewd gaze pierced her. Chisato made a note to apologize to her later. She suddenly appreciated the action movie cliché: _Sorry, Kanon, but it's for your own good._

( _Though really, what's good for you is good for me._ ) 

* * *

**Maya:** I ran a quick scan of the national taskforce database and it doesn't look like anyone's fought this type of enemy before.   
**Chisato:** Thank you Maya-chan for your quick work as always. Although isn't it schoolday for Haneoka as well?   
**Maya:** Oh well I set up the search real quick before leaving school and had it send the result to my phone and it's now lunch time so technically I'm in the clear? 

Chisato sent a quick thanks and put her phone away. Lisa was looking at her with unconcealed interest. Sweetly, she said, "I'm sorry, it's just that I've heard on this planet it's considered rude to play with your… communication device?… while sitting down with other people." 

"Why don't you sit down first?" Chisato beckoned the other girl. It was just Lisa and Chisato on a bench by the abandoned swallow shelter. The paint was peeling off the bench and on one side the wood had splintered. Lisa used that excuse to sit closer than Chisato'd have preferred. As it was some ways off the main school buildings, the place was perfect for clandestine meetings. Or in this case, a mask-off moment, not that Lisa seemed to have bothered keeping hers at all. 

Lisa's smile was as genuine as the real thing, but it held no candle to Chisato's smile, the result of years of wearing the same come high and low. "There was some emergency at work I couldn't ignore. But could you tell us about your planet—where did you say you come from?" 

"I sing the song of Rosenlied, where the roses bloom eternal and beauty is everlasting. It is the wish of our glorious Rosenkaiser (may her song echo through the ages) that all worlds may also share in our peace and prosperity, even one as benighted and heretofore unknown as yours." 

Chisato suppressed her shiver. Pride she could handle as it sometimes leaked out of the real Lisa, and Roselia's arrogance flourished like the rose in their hair, but the bloodlust in Lisa's boast was new. Carefully, she pointed out, "And I'm sure your, er, Rosenkaiser has an army enough to not make light of her ambition. Eat, Lisa-chan, break is almost over." 

Lisa pursed her lips. Chisato had bought her sandwich from the cafetaria as a treat. She'd been feeling generous. Lisa glared at her food, then put it in her mouth, plastic wrapping and all. Chisato sighed and unwrapped it for her. 

"You mock me, but Yukina—the Rosenkaiser's power is true. All worlds shall see the absolute beauty and justice of her rule. Although I am… not yet authorized to assume control of your planet.. and she might also give this solar system to someone more accomplished… What is this odd-smelling but tasty foodstuff?" 

"It's ham and egg." Chisato felt full just watching her eat. A warm feeling welled up in her, not unlike the feeling she had while playing with Leon. With that fluffy mane and big, round eyes that sparkled in the sun like marbles, Chisato felt like she was feeding a small animal. A different kind of cute than what the original Lisa aimed for, to be sure, Chisato thought sardonically, this one had to keep it child-friendly. 

Chisato said, "Why are you here if not on Yukina-chan's order?" 

"Yukina doesn't know I'm here. It's not because I'm defying her or stealing her glory or because… it's my personal business that's beneath her concern. It's just between me and, uh, my partner, if she hasn't disavowed me, and I think she has, which I'd deserve, seeing as it was my fault Tama's gone, and that's not getting into if it's appropriate for a lowly lieutenant to call a general her partner…" 

Lisa seemed so dejected that Chisato was almost moved to pat her head. Speaking to her knees, Lisa said, "I'm looking for a… your people call it a dog. My sensors indicated it's located within this area you call a town. Once I've retrieved it I shall return to Rosenlied before Yukina notices." 

Here was a dilemma. Chisato didn't know if she could in good conscience let an alien essentially abduct a dog, even a stray dog. On the other hand, if she was sincere, it seemed the fastest and least violent way to send a potential threat packing. What would the other Chisato do? Who knew, Chisato still didn't have so much as a character spec. But if she was anything like her, the in-character thing to do would be… 

Slowly, she said, "I might be able to help. Will any dog do?" 

Lisa raised her head, blinking her dark, bulbous eyes. "You'd help me? But I haven't even told you the benefits of collaborating with the Rosenreich." 

_Because I have a thing for pathetic people._ "In return you can help me to put Earth at the bottom of your invasion plan. But in truth… let's just say that most abandoned dogs will never get a good home. If you can promise that your… partner will be good to it, I don't see why we can't help you find one." 

Instead of answering, Lisa threw her entire weight on Chisato. It was a considerable weight despite her size. A crash sounded from behind. Lisa stiffened and held Chisato closer and shouted, "Who dares?" at the same time that Eve yelled, "Unhand our Chisato-san, fiend!" 

Chisato could've died from embarrassment, crushed by an exceptionally dense alien, but she refused to, and tried to shove Lisa off. Lisa released her hold reluctantly, and after a second Aya let Eve go. Flustered, Chisato glared at everyone. Fortunately the noise had gone ignored by the rest of the school. 

Chisato cleared her throat. "Perfect timing. Since you've no doubt heard—" 

"We were definitely not stalking and eavesdropping!" 

Everyone ignored Aya. "—what say you that the four of us visit the dog shelter after school?" 

And so despite the triple skeptical looks sent her way, after school they all did find themselves in one of the few pet shelters in town. Chisato hung back, letting Aya and Eve help Lisa deal with the staff and select the dog. All three glanced at her when they thought the other two weren't looking, with varying degrees of helplessness. Chisato pretended not to notice. She didn't enjoy visiting shelters and seeing those baleful, innocent eyes turned her way, knowing that only a third of them—if that—would have a chance of living a full life. 

Huh, maybe Chisato wasn't completely dead inside. She wasn't sure she liked this discovery. 

After inspecting every dog in the shelter, Lisa pronounced them all weak and unfitting for reaching the pinnacle. Chisato thought that was enough and hurried them all out, smiling apologetically at the staff. 

"Um, Lisa-chan," said Aya timidly, "please don't be upset, there are still other shelters in the area." 

Lisa pouted more fiercely than Chisato's sister when she'd been a toddler. "They will not have the one I seek. It is no ordinary mongrel, it transcends the pathetic creatures endemic to your planet. It's only that the creature I seek, for reasons incomprehensible to fools such as I, has deigned to disguise itself and hide among the inferior dogs of this town." 

Aya glanced at Chisato with panic, as though she was apt to leap to Leon's defense. Maybe the other Chisato was the sort to take offense at an ignorant generalization that affected her pet. Chisato filed this information. 

Aya should've paid attention to Eve instead. Just as earnest but more hot-headed than the real Eve, this one said, "Watch your tongue! I'll have you know that Chisato-san's Leon—" 

"Whoa, Eve!" Aya covered her mouth, but Lisa was already looking at Chisato with renewed interest. Too much interest. 

Chisato tried to slip away. "Well, well, look at the time—" 

"You have a dog, Chisato?" 

The rest of her line was still on her tongue awaiting deployment. She no longer thought about these things, making excuses, protecting her schedule. Not even Lisa's best puppy dog eyes could deter her. But Lisa had since abandoned that strategy. Her claws closed around Chisato's arm in a blink. Her eyes darkened with a cruel fire. 

"You must show me," she said, as though they were friends, "it might be the one." 

They were in public. People were starting to stare. At the same time she felt the weight of the camera slipping off her. Eve had pulled her sword out of nowhere—the real sword she'd used as a Ranger to decapitate Lisa's minions. The blade swung wide off Lisa's neck. It would've sliced Chisato's wrist but that Lisa had pulled her aside. It wasn't her finest hour, but Chisato went limp, a porcelain doll Lisa had to protect from Eve's haphazard attacks. Surely Sunday morning heroes weren't allowed to—? 

* * *

In the dark a clapperboard clicked. Chisato sat on her bed. Leon stirred but didn't move from where he was lying by her legs. Her phone indicated it was early morning of the same day. Really, couldn't they have repeated the take closer to where she'd goofed? Chisato rubbed her neck. She could still feel the cold of Eve's blade whizzing past. It was one of a kind, forged from meteorite metal as all their weapons were, though the form of Eve's sword was peculiar to her. Would that Chisato could have other more useful trivia at her disposal. She spent a longer time than she'd admit first convincing herself that Eve had meant well, and second that this wasn't her reality. The Eve she knew definitely didn't have berserker blood in her, and wouldn't hurt a fly—or rather, maybe she would hurt a fly on purpose, but not a person. 

She put her thoughts in a pretty compartment and got out of bed to start the day. 

As a child actress, Chisato had made a simple promise to her parents: on days when she wasn't scheduled to work she'd come to school, and as much as possible she'd negotiate her schedule to allow her to graduate high school at the same pace as her peers. She'd made good on that promise for most of her school life, perhaps out of pessimism that had gone halfway into becoming reality, the need for a fallback in case her acting career didn't pan out, or some dogged idealism that she, Chisato could have a life outside of acting. 

Today, as much of today as the current take would allow, for the first time in her life she would play truant. Hina was waiting for her outside her house. She looked… normal, two green eyes, a fully flesh and bone face that twitched with boredom as she waited for Chisato. A holographic illusion? Why not. 

"I told you to wait by the station." Chisato wasn't even going to ask how she'd known where she lived. Cyborg or not, every Hina seemed to come with a preternatural unpredictability that predictably kept Chisato on her toes. 

"Because you were so slow! When the infamous Chisato-chan invites me to play hooky I'm not gonna waste the day… Hi, Leon-kun! You've been such a good boy, huh, that Chisato-chan would walk you in the morning." Ever a spoiled brat, Leon headbutted Hina's hand for scratches and was rewarded for it. 

"Really. I wonder what kind of a reputation I have in this world," Chisato murmured as if to herself, watching Hina's reaction out of the corner of her eye. A flash of red, a thousand-watt smile that lit up faster on one side. Chisato started walking, letting Leon decide their route. "Yesterday, what were you about to say before Aya stopped you?" 

Hina jogged to catch up, which, since Chisato wasn't exactly walking fast, made her look like she was on a step machine. "We~ell… now I'm not sure if I'm the impostor and you're testing me, or if you are, and you're just gut-bustingly terrible at info gathering." 

"Go with whatever seems most fun for you, Hina-chan." Though outwardly she was calm, inside her heart was beating against her ribcage. There was only so long she could deny that each retake was caused by her de — 

Hina snapped her fingers. "Doppelganger-chan it is. Though you know all our names but not what we do, so I think… dimension hopping? Please say yes, that's the boppin'est!" 

"…And if so would you answer my question?" It was beginning to annoy her that she didn't know if Hina was taking her seriously. Conversations with the other Hina—her Hina— often went smiliarly, but at some point they'd hit a good enough rapport that Chisato could find the digression entertaining. Not so this stranger with only half of Hina's face. Being baldly honest left a sour taste in her mouth, but she supposed she didn't have a choice. "To tell you the truth, I don't know how I got here. When I woke up I've already replaced your Chisato. Consequently I don't know where she is. So I'm asking for your help to find her. And return me to my world, yes, but if you're anything like the Hina I know, you'd do this for her." 

Chisato had never seen Hina so still. For someone who'd often wished Hina would restrain herself, Chisato found it an unsettling sight. Like a whirlwind, Hina was suddenly set into motion once more, breaking into a devilish grin. 

"You're right! I should start from the beginning. Hi, Doppelganger-chan, I'm Hina, of House Hikawa of the planet Hinantius. That's right, I'm an alien. As for how I got here, hm… trade secret! Oh, but I'm not the only one. Maya-chan? She's from the 18th century! Doesn't seem like it, does she, the way she's clicking and clacking to technology?" 

Hina twirled, entering a playground. Being that it was a schoolday, the place was deserted. She continued blithely, "Aya-chan actually is from earth. She sees the future. It's super random though, and most of her visions are useless except to trip her at the most hilarious moments. Those hideous glasses are supposed to stop her from seeing them. And of course, there's Eve-chan and her berserker blood, useful in a pinch, but also random. Supposedly she came to Japan to be a Zen nun, I guess to get it under control, but using it to defend Tokyo works too. 

"But the best part is right under your nose—" 

Leon barked so fiercely Chisato snapped around for a threat, then finding none, scolded him. Unusually, he ignored her and continued growling at Hina. Laughing, Hina said, "Aw, come on, how long are you gonna keep it from her? Oh, whatever. Where was I… oh yeah, back to you. Or rather, my Chisato-chan, our Chisato-chan. Stuck-up has-been who got into superheroing for the PR. I guess she changed, or we all got used to having our own completely normal human mascot. Oh, I take that back, I guess becoming worse is also a change, huh. I mean, when you think about it, she'd also gotten to the point where she could tell me she wanted to disappear." 

Chisato felt uneasy. And more than that, Leon's hackles were still raised. "Hina-chan, I'm afraid you've lost me." 

"I can see it, you know, now that I know what to look for." Hina spouted what would be termed technobabble if they were in a sci-fi show, except Leon barked, and if Chisato hadn't latched to his collar he'd have pounced on Hina. 

Hina grinned triumphantly down her nose. "Bullseye eh, Leon-kun? So it was you doing this for her. Such a good boy." Leon growled. "But you see, I'm doing this for Chisato-chan, too. Who knows what's going on in that world you sent her to. And I'm sure Doppelganger-chan would rather go back sooner." 

Hina had drawn her weapon—had aimed the muzzle of the bespoke alien metal gun at Chisato. Would she have pulled the trigger? Chisato was spared the certainty of an answer as she was pulled. The shot whistled past. Her ear rang with the noise. It burned a hole in an unfortunate see-saw and was finally quenched in a hole in the ground. And as for her, Chisato was trapped in a now familiar embrace. 

"I got you, Chisato." Lisa, in her transfer student guise. Chisato tried to break free to no avail. 

"Hey, let her go!" said Hina. 

"Not that it matters to me, but weren't you about to shoot her just now?" 

"What do you want, Lisa-chan?" Chisato said, exasperated that they had veered so far off the original script and yet the camera continued rolling. (She refused to believe the script had called for getting shot by a friend.) 

Lisa's attention was solely on Leon. She gasped in admiration, almost worship. "What a beautiful specimen. I can't believe you hid it from me, didn't you promise to help?" 

"I promised to help you find an unclaimed dog. Leon is not going anywhere." A rather bold statement from someone being protected from friendly fire by an enemy, but she couldn't help saying it. Leon cowered, visibly shivering. 

"I don't really get it," Hina said, "but Doppelganger-chan, you really want to leave that badly, huh? Going so far as to collaborate with an enemy. Well, that's fine. Let me help you." 

Hina pulled the trigger. Chisato closed her eyes — 

**_Click_**

* * *

"I don't think this is working, whatever you were trying," Chisato murmured into the darkness of her room, "maybe it's time to bring the other me back." 

She was speaking to Leon as she often did when no one else was around, but this time she knew Leon understood her words as they were meant. He pretended not to hear, ears flattened. Chisato sighed and rubbed his flank. Leon was, after all, a dog. His hind leg twitched, a sign that he was enjoying her attention, and his head went to her hand. 

"There's a good boy. You've been good to the other me, haven't you? Probably better than she deserves—I stand corrected." 

Leon nipped at her fingers, not hard enough to hurt, but to make clear his objection. Chisato snorted and flicked his snout. 

"I know things had been difficult for her. She'd felt trapped in her life, hadn't she. Increasingly anxious in her role as Pastel Yellow, both for the violence and the fact that her motivations were less pure than others, but felt compelled to stay out of duty. And yet the career this hero gig was supposed to jumpstart hasn't taken off, even the opposite. To cap it all off, around this time her disillusionment with the entertainment industry, with her dreams of being an actress itself, should've ripened to bursting." 

She knew what had transpired with the clarity of having lived the same life, spitting venom from her own mouth, ladled out of her own misery. She wasn't always miserable, that other Chisato. Evidently there was much that was good in her to have inspired such loyalty and affection in her friends, and if Chisato tried really hard she might uncover more pleasant memories. She wouldn't, not at the cost of rewriting her own memories. They were frighteningly similar people—every choice the other Chisato had made was a choice she could have made herself. 

So she felt pity for herself. One, for example Lisa, might've harnessed that empathy to be more charitable. But Chisato hated feeling pity for herself, so instead she wounded up slightly, or maybe largely, hating the other Chisato. For, firstly, whining to Hina, who wouldn't take her seriously enough to stop her, but would remember her complaints verbatim, and secondly for abandoning her friends and family, possibly forever, being too cowardly to let them know things weren't fine. 

And finally… "All the wish you could've granted, and she chose one where she simply disappeared. I suppose I could understand that too, but I can only be so understanding when she dragged me into her problems. You know I hate improv, Leon. I'd wager she's also having a hard time playing me. This method—you'd have us acting all the time. We're not so consummate an actress as that. We must have our time from everyone where we may take off our masks." 

That was her deal with acting, that was what made acting worth pursuing. For a time she would become another person entirely, and she would transform the dreams once living in the directors' imagination into three-dimensional, living and breathing human beings. And then at the end of the day she would go home and take all the costumes and masks off, and become simply Chisato. She could not, would not sign up for a job where she had to live as someone else from sun up to sun down, even if that person was some other version of herself. 

(And maybe she was piqued that all this information was dumped on her at the last minute. But what else could she expect out of a Sunday morning children's show.) 

Leon yawned and nuzzled closer, utterly dismissing her grumbles. He was, after all, a dog, someone else's dog. Chisato obliged him absently. "Come to think of it, all that power and you choose to live out your life as an ordinary earth girl's pet." 

"I agree! It's most mysterious." 

If Leon hadn't been with her she'd have screamed. Lisa was in her room, this time dressed to the nines in roses and thorns and darkness—the full glory of a lieutenant of the Rosenreich. There was a loud and potentially destructive alien under her family's roof, who kept her memories between takes. Thinking quickly, she said, "Whatever you have to say, Lisa-chan, surely it could wait until we're in open space. I don't want to involve my innocent family." 

"And what of it? How do I know you wouldn't lead me into a trap?" 

"Otherwise the deal is off, and in the next take you will definitely find yourself in a trap." 

"As if I'd believe you'd ever meant to honor your promise in the first place!" 

Pouting most un-lieutenant-like, Lisa consented to waiting outside while Chisato changed and leashed Leon. He was being unusually quiet again. She wondered if there was more to it than not liking to be commandeered by overweening aliens. 

"You haven't called for backup," Lisa accused once she'd gone outside, pointing at the pastel watch perpetually strapped to her wrist. 

"They'd only complicate matters," deflected Chisato. She'd rather not find out how Aya or Maya would accidentally or not accidentally kill her this time. The watch stayed on, regardless, just in case. Chisato led them into the same park she'd visited yesterday—earlier today—the previous take. It was still dark, the early spring freeze was at its coldest. They were alone, just Chisato shivering in her jacket and Lisa, indifferent in her overexposed dress. An alien. Right. 

Leon wandered as far away from Lisa as he could while still leashed. Watching him, Chisato said, "How do you remember? Others seem to forget what happened with each retake." 

"I don't understand what a 'take' is, but I remember of time folding on itself with you at its center. Multiple times, every time when it's become inconvenient for you. Only, it's the dog, isn't it. Leon, right? We haven't been introduced." There was greediness in Lisa's admiring gaze. Chisato subtly moved to block her line of sight. Lisa clucked her tongue impatiently. "Didn't you say it yourself, he's wasted here as your pet. My partner can give him more riches and glory and honor, anything he would ever want, more than your backwater planet could possibly offer." 

"That's for Leon to decide, isn't it. What do you think, boy? I know you're listening." 

Leon stopped pretending to sniff for squirrels for a moment and shook his head. The leash was as stretched as it could be. Chisato turned to Lisa, intending to gloat, ill-advised as it was, but stopped. Lisa's expression flitted between crushed, then angry, then determined, all in a matter of seconds. Chisato sighed, knowing she'd regret this, but spoke anyway. "I don't think Sayo-chan would appreciate it if you kidnapped or coerced Leon. It's not, ah, honourable." 

"…No, Sayo is proud and boneheaded like that… wait, how did you know it's Sayo?" Lisa swore and quickly slapped a hand over her own mouth, glaring. Chisato wished she could claim the credit for catching her in a gotcha she hadn't known. 

After a few takes Chisato could see where this was going. Resigned, she stepped back and released Leon's leash, telling him to run. At the same time Lisa had manifested a whip in her hands, winding and rewinding it around her palm. Reluctantly, Chisato palmed her watch. It was futile, but she supposed even the other Chisato would at least try to put up a fight. 

Lisa said, "Though I'm sad we must part ways, I will never forget the kindness you showed me—" 

"It was just an egg sandwich," Chisato interjected, rolling her eyes. "And you're not sorry at all, you shoddy bootleg." 

She would remember the insult past retakes, but Chisato was also past caring. Lisa snarled and snapped the whip back. As Chisato braced herself a beam of light came between them. A hand shot out from the light and caught and raised Chisato by the throat. Surprised, Chisato struggled uselessly. Her vision darkened around the edges. 

"Sayo! Drop her this instant, she's not a threat!" 

The light cleared. It was indeed Sayo, the tar pit bootleg version of her, at any rate. Spikes were on her pauldrons, decorated her helmet and armor, as many spikes as it would take to convince even the most charitable soul that she was evil. Inorganic red and malachite green eyes scanned her up and down, a perfect reflection of Hina's set. She turned to Lisa, perplexed. "My sensors indicated she has the power of a dreadnought stored in the ridiculous device on her wrist." 

"W-well, yes, but I have it all under control! And we're not seriously fighting, anyway." 

That was news to Chisato, but it was enough to convince Sayo to release her. Chisato coughed and hacked and looked around for Leon. He seemed to have heeded her order to leave. She squashed the hypocritical feeling of betrayal and turned back to the invaders, who'd all but forgotten she was there. 

"—your battalion—and where are they? Have you taken leave of your senses? Did you intend to make a mockery of Her Imperial Highness in front of—" 

"Hey, don't bring Yukina into this!" 

A vein jumped on Sayo's temple. Gritting her teeth, she said, "I would think that you would have learned, after your deplorable display in the Verlathani campaign. Was I mistaken in my estimation of you?" 

Lisa's lips quivered, her gaze cast down. Chisato decided to intervene—dawn was breaking, and Sayo's flashy entrance must have attracted the wrong sort of attention. She'd rather have this settled quietly. "Lisa-chan is looking for a dog. For you, Sayo-chan." 

Sayo looked at her like she was surprised an ant had spoken to her. "I don't… a dog? And for that you'd cross the uncharted backside of the universe with just a handful of soldiers?" 

"Not quite a handful," Chisato said, "and it's for you, Sayo-chan. Lisa-chan would do anything for you. Although unfortunately, I don't think you'd find a suitable creature here. You see, Lisa-chan, Leon has deserted me. Would such a fickle beast fit your fierce Sayo-chan?" Chisato sent an apology to Leon, but she was sure he'd rather take a dent to his good name than being press-ganged into an evil empire. 

"Well… no, but…" 

"I have no need for cowards," said Sayo decisively. Still frowning, she turned to Lisa. Bootleg Sayo had frowning down to an art, but her tone was considerably gentler even to Chisato's unfamiliar ear. "Perhaps I've been hasty to judge you. And, embarrassingly, inattentive. I should have realized you were still upset." 

"Of course I'm upset it was my fault you lost Tama! But not as upset as you are for losing him. I mean, even Yukina was starting to drop hints for me to do something. Ah, that doesn't mean she'd ordered me to come here—" 

Lisa trailed off as Sayo took her hands. "I shall renounce dogs forever if it would lead to losing you. All I need… as long as I have y-you. By my side. Where you belong." 

Chisato had to resort to lip reading to catch her words. But not Lisa, her face was indistinguishable from her red hair. The imaginary string section was swelling in Chisato's ears. She decided she'd had her fill. She coughed into her hand, drawing unified glares. "Now that the misunderstandings have been cleared, I would like to clarify some things first. So your Empire doesn't even know our planet exist?" 

"Your galaxy is not scheduled for a preliminary survey for another five Rosenjahr—" 

"Delightful! Then you must be wanting to be on your way. After all, you still have other worlds to conquer." 

Sayo drew herself taller, but still holding firmly to Lisa's arm. "Quite right. We must leave before the defenders of this world are notified of us. I don't know your identity, curious stranger, or your motivation—" 

"Lisa-chan knows," Chisato said. "So it's fine. Goodbye." 

"Wait! Chisato, I…" 

There were tears in Lisa's big, black eyes. Chisato sighed, but even she couldn't help a small smile. She waved. "Do try and be less of a burden to Sayo-chan." 

Blinding light enveloped them. 

* * *

"…here's Shirasagi-san, as I've said." 

"Yeah, yeah, you love dogs so much you could recognize someone else's pet from a distance. It's cute." 

"I don't love—don't make me sound like a maniac!" 

"Oops, I think we woke her. Yo, Chisato, sorry for the noise." 

Chisato opened her eyes blearily, as if awakening from a dream. She was sat down on a bench. She knew this place. It was her favorite municipal dog park. It was afternoon, the sun not quite set yet. Dogs and their owners milled in the background, playing, or enjoying their time together. By her hand, Leon whined and put his chin on her knees. 

"You okay, Chisato?" Lisa peered at her, barely hiding her worry. She had her bass case, and Chisato would bet anything she was wearing an off-shoulder knitted shirt under her coat. Perfectly normal clothes. Sayo, spikeless, was also looking at her with faint concern in her dull green eyes. 

Sayo said, "Hina was looking for you. She wouldn't specify what had happened, but… how should I put this… my sister does not worry about a tiger on the loose unless it's about to eat my face. Which is not to say that you're a tiger, but—" 

Lisa took over smoothly. "Sayo here saw your dog on our way back from CiRCLE, so we followed him and he took us to you. It's, uh, probably a bit stalker-ish." 

Leon bumped her hand and earned an automatic pat. Chisato still felt disoriented. The transition had been too sudden. Her gaze landed on her wrist, devoid of strange, unfashionable watches. Maybe for all intents and purposes it had been a dream. "It is, indeed. Stalker-ish." Lisa made a small 'eep'. "But I'll let it slide this once since you were worried for me. I'm sorry for that." 

"Hina is, more than us," insisted Sayo. Cavalier when it came to her sister as always. "I think you should contact her." 

That would require knowing what the other Chisato had done—what she, Chisato had done? She had a vague impression of yelling at Hina for being the wrong person at the wrong time. It could very well be an old memory, however. Her head still felt like cotton candy. Maybe they were right to be worried. 

"I'll text Hina," she conceded. "And in the mean time, since you're here, would you like to play with Leon for a while? Look, he's still bursting with energy." 

"I, no, we shouldn't disturb you." Sayo had been stealing furtive, longing glances at her dog. If Chisato'd been in the mood for being mean, she'd laugh. 

Lisa sniggered enough for both of them. "Aw, come on, Sayo, it's no use pretending to be cool now." She held out her hand for the guitar case. Sayo looked conflicted. It was Leon pawing her knee that decided it for her. She handed the guitar to Lisa and took Leon's favorite ball from Chisato. And then they were both forgotten. 

Still sniggering, Lisa sat a respectable distance between her and Chisato, put down both guitar cases and whipped out her phone. Chisato supposed it was a rare day that Hikawa Sayo gamboled like a girl with her pet dog, even if she didn't think it was worth recording. Still groggy, she checked her messages. Most of them were from Hina, including the missed calls. Chisato sent her a quick 'I'll call you later' for now. 

When she looked up Lisa had stored her phone. Here comes the meddling, Chisato thought. She'd heard enough from Aya to form an image or two. The warm smile, the concern that might be genuine, even though it was cheaply given to everyone. But all Lisa said was, "So this might be strange but—and I guess as an actress you might've heard this one a lot—but I saw you in a dream. Not, like, those kinds of dreams—wow that sounded so much better in my head." 

"Most things are, although that's never stopped people from saying them anyway. So what kind of a dream was yours?" 

Blushing but grinning cheekily, Lisa said, "Kinda hard to describe. Things blurred together, you know, as dreams do. You fed me and called me a shoddy bootleg and I'm not even sure they're connected. But you also said something that was incredibly helpful to me. See, I was in a kind of a dilemma, just a small drama of my own making, and you scolding me helped me get out of my funk." Lisa shrugged. "I told you it's weird." 

Chisato felt her heart skip a beat. Surely it was a coincidence. But after a moment she made herself relax. Told Lisa, "I'm an actress. It's my job to show you a dream. I'm always glad to be of service." 

"Ah, I see, it's showbiz Chisato I'm having with me. Anyway, if there's anything I can do to help… Hina didn't tell us much, but I've been hearing from… my sources that your next concert might be troublesome?" 

…Maybe a few pointed remarks about keeping idol and private lives separated might do Aya good. On the other hand, she was starting to remember. She'd been having trouble with the bass lately, even though there'd been no other obligations that seriously competed with her rehearsal time. Hina'd touched a sore spot, and she'd blown up, and flounced, and feeling fed up with everything showbiz, had absconded with Leon to the dog park. 

_Later. I'm talking to Hina later._ One fix at a time. To Lisa, she said, "In that case, could I trouble you for a private lesson?" 

She vaguely remembered having this conversation with Lisa before. To her surprise, this time Lisa readily agreed, and the date and time was penned in both their planners. 

Sticking her nose where it didn't belong was a bad habit for an actress, but this once Chisato felt like being impulsive. "You've changed, Lisa-chan. Usually you'd neg yourself and make the rest of us look worse in comparison." 

"Ahaha, ouch. But I guess you could say someone knocked it out of me. Not literally, just like, words and a boatload of trust. She got me thinking, humility doesn't really have a place in music, does it. I mean, obviously I still have a ton to improve, and a musician who's completely satisfied with where they are is probably, uh, not gonna go anywhere. But really, from the start a musician's got to be conceited to think other people should listen to your performance. That your music is saying _something_ , and that something is good enough to take even a few minutes of their time. So if even I can't believe in Roselia's sound, in my bandmates saying my bass is a part of that sound, why should everyone else? Take it all away, and all we have is our pride. Ahaha, that's probably overcompensating, but for now that's how I've worked it out. I've been saying weird stuff all day today, you should ask Sayo." 

"It's not the most coherent, but it might make sense if I think about it a little." Then quietly, more to herself, "I'll sleep on it." 

Lisa snorted, mirth shining in her eyes. For a moment Chisato thought she might be assaulted with a hug, but Lisa shrugged and crossed her legs. "Hmph. Well, I can't tell if you've changed or I'm finally allowed a peek into the real person behind the actress, but I like this Chisato better." 

She watched Lisa watch Sayo and Leon play catch. The other world—or the dream, whichever made the most sense—had receded from sight. It was over. The camera had stopped rolling. The job was finished. Time to pack all her masks and go home. 

**Author's Note:**

> Title is from wakuwaku meets trip, or as it's localized in EN, Pep Meets Step.
> 
> Like Chisato, I don't remember much of the sentai/Power Ranger episodes I watched as a kid. Fortunately there's a wiki for everything these days...
> 
> Alien Hina's backstory is entirely lifted from Halloween Hina's left episode, and the deja vu Chisato mentioned is from Lisa's communication max. And then there are other references strewn about, I guess.
> 
> Trying something completely new here, so please let me know what you think!


End file.
